Letter from Cuffel of Cuffel’s Sand: Why Create Businesses?

First, I want to thank every subscriber (I wish that all of you would say hello!) and encourage new subscribers. I love African people very much and I always will to do right by them; though we know sometimes we avoid receiving ‘love’ and ‘right.’ Please, all readers, if you can, re-blog this letter or chain-letter it. It’s the transcript to next, next week’s television show. In being loving we must do right by our people: and spreading inspirational letters is doing right. :) On to the entry.

Hotep my African Blood Siblings, and thank you all for being so ‘beautiful, righteous and full of soul!’ Read the below and write to commit to rallying for African Blood Siblings Community Centers, bastions for our transformation into Prosperous, Independent African Communities. Subscribe, share, love.

This is a letter from Cuffel of Cuffel’s Sand, an international African owned business which employs African people for the maintenance of its organic farms and vibrant sandwich shops. It’s a young enterprise at one year in age and it’s the brainchild of a beautiful, young lady named Cuffel, whom last year had been one whom I had the fortune to encourage to peddle sandwiches in the hopes of making herself money. She has five specialty sandwiches, and each has a very significant taste and purpose. For instance, her Nanny sandwich not only tastes good, but replicates the modest diet of the Windward Maroon Nanny, whom managed local farms in her Maroon town; Cuffel makes it a point to support the Maroons of Nannytown through this production. I am proud to have received a letter from this wonderful African. I hope that her letter elates you as much as it does me:

Dearest Brother Onitaset Kumat,

“Business is turning one-hundred dollars into one-thousand dollars.” If you had never said that phrase to me, I would never be as well-off as I am today. Imagine! It was only a year ago when you inspired me to become self-employed. From the totality of my heart, I thank you.

I had long pondered our meeting; I would have wished to message you earlier, but you told me “A year” and I had to take you literally–why not? Still, it was such a moment in my life! There we were, outside of McDonald’s, when you stopped me to ask me to frequent and advertise your website. I affirmed that I would and I did, but engaging me in a brilliant discourse, we started talking of African independence and the means toward. You spoke, “Look,” pointing at the restaurant, “Africans don’t even know how to properly spend money. Look! This is one of the worst symptoms of our enslavement. African people need to turn to business. Business is turning one-hundred dollars into one-thousand dollars. Look at the examples of so-called successful businesspeople! Look!”

I loved the speech, but in my insecurities I braved to ask, “What can we do about it?,” our people’s age-old concern, “McDonald’s has a monopoly and we can not compete against it.”

You shrugged the concern, “A monopoly means they most make one-hundred dollars into one-thousand dollars, but that should not be your concern. You should know two things: You want a thousand dollars and money should be in the hands of the wise.”

“What do you mean that ‘money should be in the hands of the wise?'” I asked.

“Such is the aim of African businesses. Truly, money influences, but who besides our wise should be influential? Your inspiration for gaining money should be in empowering our wise, which should mainly be yourself–you’re smiling.”

“Do you mean ‘yourself?'”, we laughed.

“It couldn’t hurt,” you chuckled.

“Okay. But still, we have to admit that McDonald’s is bigger than us.”

“Yes, we do. But we also have to observe our people. How many walk in to spend six dollars at lunch time and leave satisfied? What if you tell them that for four dollars they can be just as satisfied? Will they reject you? Yes. Some will. But you’re looking to turn one-hundred dollars into one-thousand dollars, nothing more. Everything in your way of this money is an obstacle that you need to overcome. Just think–what will make them spend their four dollars with you rather than their four or six dollars with McDonald’s. And think of it through love.”

“Yes. For instance, the largest flaw with McDonald’s is that it’s success can not be replicated and its food is so bad for you. Meanwhile, one can have flavorful and satiating vegetable sandwiched for much cheaper–so do that. Make large vegatable sandwiches and explain to people how your vegetables are from Africa and the Caribbean and you are hoping to, with your money, buy farms for employing our people and improving African agriculture. Sooner or later, you will own those farms, you will employ our people, and what money you make selling sandwiches today will be money made by others that you employ. But that’s all ‘counting chickens before they are hatched.’ You need to go to the organic grocers and ponder on ingredients until you design five different sandwiches. Then make those sandwiches, put them in a cooler, and start peddling. With that money, re-invest until enough of your savings amount to the next step of your business. You’ll know when. But start peddling!

“You know,” you continued, “I recently spoke to a sister who told me that if massly producing sandwiches she’d give them out freely. That may sound loving but do not even think of this in the beginning! If you want to help the starving, give them employment selling sandwiches when you can afford to. They will be very thankful then. Now, you do nothing for them, for a person can not survive on one sandwich and you can not today survive on sustaining another person! Do not give out freely. If you wish to help the starving, help yourself to help them. In no way can you help otherwise.

“Toward employment, only employ Africans. It’s not in the European’s psyche to not ruin your company in some way or another. Be open and honest with Africans and we shall elevate ourselves. Never, never rely on any outside “expertise.” What you will be doing is novel–you are trying to help Africans. Do not concern yourself over ‘expert’ Africans. Learn what to do and teach what to do. You can learn and teach everything–just be sure to learn everything you need to teach!

“Remember, the modern meat industry is a fraud–this is what experts do–they fraud. Remember, injected in meats are different proteins of different animals, and large quantities of water. This is what ‘experts’ bring to you–deception for the sake of money. You are not wanting to deceive your people so do not rely on “expertise.” Be honest, you want to sell healthy sandwiches to African people; you want their diets to make them strong and make them healthy; and you want to increase our own independence and industry. Experts are against these goals and Europeans are against these goals. Employ only Africans whom care for African uplift over European dollars.”

It was all much for me. Still, I promised “I will go to the grocers right now” and from then I did. It was an experience to look through the vegetables and think on what to cook. Afterward, I cleaned my cooler and made these wonderful sandwiches that I knew would awaken our taste buds and improve the physical and spiritual strength of my customers.

I sold sandwiches on the streets; in front of schools, beside basketball courts, during parades and before McDonald’s. I made one-hundred dollars into one-thousand, then five-hundred into five-thousand, and soon I had real money. It became that other Africans sold sandwiches for me. Some people even independently sold sandwiches, but what did I care–I only want to turn one-hundred dollars into one-thousand dollars and as long as Africans had a better diet than McDonald’s provided, I was happy. All because I learned to love Africans. I thank you again.

Soon, many neighborhoods had sandwich sellers, after all, African people need to eat. I decided to organize many of the Africans under one business. That’s when our enterprise was started: Cuffel’s Sand. We had African-centered wrappers: Nzingha, Hatshepsut and Nanny were especially prominent in a homage to your website and television show. We included healthy facts, and also managed farms in the Caribbeans, Americas and Africa. We even expanded our sales around the country, leaving Brooklyn, becoming an international force. So-called “Thugs” sold sandwiches. Our people ate!

Almost out of thin air, Cuffel’s Sand began running writing workshops, culinary workshops, advertising workshops, packaging workshops, shipping workshops, sales workshops, farming workshops and history workshops, all to better our product and employee base. These days I sometimes run seminars and I sometimes sell sandwiches, but I do not need to personally sell a sandwich. I just do, because it reminds me of you. I am just so thankful that I can write you now.

On that, I send you these thousand-dollars that you may turn it into ten-thousand dollars. Plus, truly, the wise should have the money. I hope that it benefits you. You have benefited me. I thank you. I thank you. I thank you.

In Love,
Hotep,
Cuffel of Cuffel’s Sand

This letter demonstrates how African people merely need to initiate their projects. If this woman sat by and waited to do something as simple as peddle a sandwich, what money she made, would not be as widespread. It’s worth something that African people sponsored her, but that’s partly due to her learned charisma. I am certain that she had many difficulties, pushing a cooler and asking Brothers and Sisters to patronize her. Still, she now has a shop as far as Africa and even McDonald’s has healthied up it’s menu for her sake. All that she has done was worth something.

I love her attention to my quotation: “Business is turning one-hundred dollars into one-thousand dollars” because it is something to see put into action. African people need to be more business oriented, and I encourage each of us to patronize Cuffel. Heck, those interested in the sandwich business ought email her at AfricanBloodSibs@aim.com.

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I really appreciate reading this letter. I have been trying to start my business for awhile but I have not actually done anything because I kept making excuses. But now I feel like those same very words that you spoke to that young lady has awakened something in me. I have been wanting to start a business to uplift Harlem but I have been too scared to do something. Although, now I feel empowered to do something now. Thank you for posting this letter.

"Vata dikôndo mbôngi diafwa." -- A village without a boko [Community Center] is dead. A society without institutions where public freedom is warranted is straight to its fall. -- Traditional Kikongo Proverb

“Whoever does not inform his children of his grandparents has destroyed his child, marred his descendants, and injured his offspring the day he dies. Whoever does not make use of his ancestry has muddled his reason. Whoever is unconcerned with his lineage has lost his mind. Whoever neglects his origin, his stupidity has become critical. Whoever is unaware of his ancestry his incompetence has become immense. Whoever is ignorant of his roots his intellect has vanished. Whoever does not know his place of origin, his honor has collapsed.” -- 15th Century African Poet (Timbuktu)

Queen Nanny — One of three ABS Guides, Nanny defended the Maroons of Jamaica and restored African culture. To this day “Nannytown” stands as a testament to this Queen’s devotion to us. She is one of the three national heroes of Jamaica.

Taharqo — One of three ABS Guides, Taharqo came from Ethiopia–Africa–to give the last defense of Egypt (KMT). He and his family restored African culture in Egypt too–re-opening temples that were closed by the Asian invaders.

"How do I convince you of your greatness?
This whole world was created by your blood.
You are the descendant of the 'Blameless'
The deified: History's most beloved."